March 13, 2018 • 37 mins
Jake talks to Jon Andolina. "Ando" is a college buddy who moved to Nashville with ZERO intention of getting into the music bidness. Now...He's Jake's manager.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Oh all right, all right, you didn't think that was funny,
that that liquor store picture. I mean, I mean I
thought it was all right, and I thought it was
kind of funny. I didn't think it was I didn't
like make me text back. I noticed that. Yeah, yeah, man, Hey,
I didn't even get an l L. See we're we're
(00:23):
already in on this thing. You didn't even realize it. Um.
I want to welcome everybody back. It's Jakey, Welcome back
to Good Company. UM, it's another episode here today. I'm
really excited about it. You guys kind of might have
just heard us talking as we came in. This wasn't
this Usually we start with this pre roll intro. But
I knew with a special guest that I had today,
I would have to kind of catch him off guard. Um.
(00:44):
And what he was talking about was a I asked
him this secret person I haven't introduced you to yet, uh,
if he would like to be on my podcast, because
it would mean a lot to me if he would
come on this podcast. And uh, he really, I don't
think wanted to said no. Is what happened is that
what he said? No, I don't I'm good, Thank you yeah,
(01:05):
but I made him do it. And uh, that man
that is talking in the background that I have yet
to introduce is the Italian Stallions, John Andalia. Everybody given
up for John Andalina? Thank you John and Alina. Is
here a lot of y'all out there, um, friends of
(01:25):
mine and people on the road that might have might
have heard the name and oh before and oh is
I believe it's short for Andalina? Correct already with the
short jokes. No, that wasn't even a short joke. Actually,
I was just But now that you've said that, I
guess I should have said no pun intended. But uh
(01:45):
uh and oh, I mean he is a of a
shorter stature. He I mean he brought that upon himself
there when he said that. I just figured to get
out of the way. Yeah, well we got those out
of the way. And dude, I I I'm not here
today to talk to you about your height or mine
real honestly, I'm here to talk to you about how
awesome of a person you are. And that's what this
is all about. I've been able so so many times
(02:06):
to um have some pretty awesome people in here and
talk to them about just life and and and and
really have no direction. Look, I walked in here with
a Lacrosse a Lacroix water. This one happened. I did
because it's the only one I had, And I got
one of those packs at Costco where you um, you
get like four different flavors at one time. I'm a
(02:27):
member at Costco. Now we've had a big argument. We
have had a big argument. Before we get into all that,
let me first tell everybody before all that, let me
preference with this is I am so out of my
comfort zone with a microphone in my front of my face.
So I'm gonna preference that for everybody. You you are
not my thing. Yeah, you definitely are probably out of
your comfort zone right now. Yeah. Like when the telemarketer
(02:49):
calls and said this call is being recorded for quality assurance,
I shut down immediately. Well, I can assure you. I
can assure you that this is being recorded for quality
assurance for all the people out there. Which, by the way,
Keith Kaufman told me this morning right before we started
this podcast that we're up to eighty thousand listens already
after a few weeks of starting this. So now that
(03:10):
John and Alina is made it on the show, there's
no telling what kind of numbers I mean, are just
gonna go through the roof after this one. It's probably
about four more listens, your mom, my mom, and my wife.
Oh man, well your wife. That's a good story too.
We have lots of good stories to get to today.
But back to what I was saying originally, is the
reason I wanted to have you on here, John, is because, uh,
(03:32):
just the kind of value. I mean, I've known you
since college. I wanted to kind of intro people that
everybody out there before I've seen you on the road.
John now is my manager. But it didn't start that way.
It started as a guy I met in college when
I walked into Southgate dormitory, which is in Tallahassee. I
was up there for summer semester. I went up early
(03:53):
with intentions of playing golf on the golf team, and
a lot of people throughout the years have somewhat miss
construed my story about going to college and playing golf
on the golf team, which never happened. Um, I actually
went there with the intentions of walking on the golf team.
I twin brother Jared, who you know very well. When
we spent a lot of years with was on the
(04:13):
tennis team there full tennis scholarship. But I went up
early and stayed at this dormitory South Gates, this private dormitory,
and I walked in to find out where my room
was because I was there for summer golf camp and
John and Alina was the resident assistant behind the counter,
and Uh, you helped me to my room, man, I
did you show me where my room was? At the time,
(04:35):
John tells a story that he I doubt that it
was a pink I might have been a shade of
pink salmon, all right, salmon. I had a salmon golf
shirt on. I was coming for golf camp, you know,
and had my golf clubs on my shoulder. And that's
how we met and became good buddies. Down in college
and with me not playing on the golf team, I
(04:56):
started playing music and writing songs. You know. I mean
how many times you probably came and saw me play it? Uh?
Buckets and this place called Buckets. Buckets was awesome. There
was this it was just a huge bar and their
stage was above the bar, like elevated, like it was
hanging from the ceiling. So you're sitting there having a drink,
(05:17):
and if you were to look up where normal TVs
would be at a like at a sports bar, there
was a stage with a guy playing on it. It
was so awkward. Whoever came up with that idea, Like, hey, yeah,
it actually was a brilliant idea. Um, it was this
And you know that was at a time I was
hustling in college because I just wanted to play for
anyone and anyone everyone, and was playing all kinds of
(05:39):
cover songs and stuff. But there was a place across
the street called Parrots. If you remember that, I mean
there'd be nights. So we talked about this when Marty
and Jared were on the podcast, But there were nights
where I literally would be so excited to go up
there and play. And I had my own little p
A system. I plugged the wires in and put it
on sticks, you know, and get ready and sound check
a song or two. It was usually like Dixie Land
(05:59):
of Light or something, but Alabama, you know, the bartender
and the waitress, one waitress to be in there, like,
you know, kind of getting ready for what they were
hoping to be a big night. Because I was promising
all these people to come see me play and then
uh and I would show up with like our buddy
Rodrigo and Jared, and um, that was pretty much. That'd
pretty much be it from and parrots served only beer,
(06:20):
and I didn't drink, so I would I would have
to go out to the car to get my own refreshments.
So they didn't. They didn't make a lot of money
off of me. No, And at the time, and all
he'd tell people, tell them what you drink in college.
He's the only person in my life that does weird
things like this. We'll get into that you're a weirdo,
but he's he only in college drinking Yeager bombs. That's it.
(06:44):
That's it, nothing but Yeager bombs. You will go into
his college apartment or whatever, and you'd have all these
empty Yeager bottles on top of his refrigerator and like
a hundred and fifty cans of Red Bull and for
some reason, I about thirty pounds heavier, and oh man,
and so yeah, but I was a dream to invite
(07:06):
the parties because I never came to drink your alcohol.
I would, he did, and you would always. But if
we were going somewhere, it was always like, guys want
to have a yegger barm. So back on track. So
I'm playing music in these venues and you guys are
coming out and supporting me. Then it was awesome man,
because you you you just even back then, you were
just supporting me. And I remember the day that I
(07:29):
wrote this song, eight Second Ride. I wrote it with
my buddy Eric Durant, who also lives in Tallahassee. And
that song over there, I mean, it's a it's a
it's a platinum song, sold over a million copies, and
I'll never forget that song. I wrote literally when I
was in college down there, and brought it to your
dormitory because Cee and O, since he was the resident assistant,
(07:51):
and O had this like luxury dorm room. You know,
it was like it was a three bedroom apartment, basic
in the lobby. It stupid. Yeah, it was great, and
and they paid me to what idiots? So yeah, so
I I took him the song and I probably played
that song about a hundred times in his dormitory. Um.
(08:11):
And so this all leads to eventually me going one
day to and O and my twin brother and tell
him and then I'm moving to Nashville, And uh, what
did you think. I mean, honestly, like, I've never really
asked you that, and I think that's why I was.
I was excited today to get you in here after
we've kind of prefaced how we met and what when
(08:32):
I told you that I was going to move to
Nashville to sing songs and try to make it in Nashville.
H honestly, like, what was your thought on that? Well?
I never thought we'd be sitting here talking about a
podcast at any point. Um. I was excited for you, man,
I mean it was. It was inspired to see you
follow your dream and wanting to do it. And so
(08:52):
many people sit back and and want to do things
and talk about how they want to do things, but
then they don't take the action. And for you to
just pick up and say, hey man, this is what
I'm doing. And it was I think I was probably
more nervous and had more anxiety than you did over it.
That's uh. I mean, it was exciting to see man,
and it was it was cool hearing the stories about
you know, you being a Nashville with not having any
reference point of how the music industry worked, and and
(09:14):
you sit there and go, you know, I played this
bar or something like that. It was like wow, I mean,
and then it's funny you hear your song in the radio,
which was a second ride I think was the first
one that you did, and it was you immediately think, wow,
this guy made it. He's a superstar. And I think
that's how a lot of people from smaller towns or hometowns,
when they hear their rendering on the radio, they immediately think, well,
this guy's made it. He's you know an absolutely. Meanwhile,
(09:37):
I was driving back and forth to Tallahassee on the
weekends to play bars and stuff and play like they
would hire me when John was still down there running
the dormitory. It's they would literally hire me to come.
I would come home from Mashville and bring a p
A system and play for like the kids moving in
the dormitory, and they'd be given out like placed, like
(09:57):
I'd do like a raffle during my set, you know, like, yeah,
there's a free PlayStation if you guys just signed literally
I had a record deal or something. I think I
was going back and forth doing that. But uh, that's
cool to hear you say that, because I've always wondered
what some of them, my friends thought if they just
thought I was crazy at the time or what. But
we definitely thought you were crazy. But it's just that
I'm looking back, looking back on it, I I sometimes
(10:21):
wonder if I was. But I'm glad because and that's
why I bring that up, not so much to just
to tout like the story of be moving up here,
but I really believe as many people ask me all
the time about how stuff like this happens. If you
ask any person that does what we're doing as far
as singing songs on the radio play, and it didn't
(10:41):
happen without moving at least here to to chase us
a dream, and it may not happen. And now everyone's
story doesn't happen the same way. It all takes its
own time. But as you said, and I think it's
important for those out there listening, And that's all I
want to do is promote, you know, people to understand
the positivity of of believing in themselves and and pursuing
(11:02):
whether it's music, whether or whatever it is, do it
because um, there's no guarantees, but if and when it
does work out, because you chase something you love the
benefits of it and the happiness and brings to your
life is is amazing. I can attest to that, and
as can you. I think now, and Oh, because I'm
not the only one that took a risk in my life,
(11:22):
and I wanted to bring this back around to you.
Obviously you're here today. So I moved to Nashville, and
I've been up there for a couple of years. Probably
at the time after you left south Gate the dormitory,
you were literally working at a sandwich shop, right, I
was making sandwiches. He was literally rolling sandwiches at a
place called Roli Poly. So I can make a mean
(11:43):
sandwich if everyone wants after this, which is so funny
because and Oh doesn't eat anything. He doesn't like anything.
If he orders a hamburger, it's just I want the
burger and the buns. I don't want anything on it.
I don't want it. So he used to tell me
how good these sandwiches were, But I said, how do
you even know because you don't you don't even eat it.
How can you tell someone something's good you don't eat.
He's because I make it, Oh Man. We get an
(12:06):
argument about hamburgers all the time about you know, he
he gets everything on as hamburgers. So Eason thinks that
his is better than mine, and I sit there and say, no,
mine's better because I can enjoy the meats. I can.
He's like, I can actually taste the meat because I
don't have it covered in mustard and avocado and you know,
fancy stuff that shouldn't go on burger. Oh Man, I asked,
this isn't what we'll move on. I don't. I said,
(12:28):
we weren't gonna have short jokes. And it really wasn't
gonna be a short joke, which is why I was
going to preface it with that liston. Man, I didn't
walk into this podcast thinking I was tall. So you're
calling me short, just not opening my eyes to anything.
I'm not gonna walk out. So I'm in Nashville for
a couple of years and and I'm keeping up with
you as you're down there, and and and there's been
(12:49):
once or twice and I would come up and I
think to visit um, and I kept telling him. I
was like, man, you need to just move up here.
And he's gonna be great at whatever he does because
he works hard. That's how from the time I met him,
that's what he did. He was working there at Southgate,
and he was working hard and and I always admired
that about you. But when I moved off, I saw
how much Nashville had changed my life, just in happiness
(13:13):
and being in a new place and with new people
and and just getting away from what you're used to,
you know. And so I told him, I said, man,
you need to come up here, seriously, you can live
up here in my place. I'm gone all the time.
I'll have a friend here, you know. And so it
wasn't but I don't know, you just said one day,
You're like, dude, I think I'm gonna move up there, right, Yeah,
(13:33):
I think what it was. You know, I was working
a lot, and I was fortunate enugh to save up
a little bit of money to take some time off,
and I just loved Nashville and you know how a
place to stay, and so I moved up. I just
threw everything in the back of my truck like you did,
only I was probably the only person that moved to
Nashville with everything back of my truck, without a job,
that had no intentions of going into the music business. Yeah,
which is why I wanted to have you on here,
because I think this is so great and this leads
(13:55):
back to once again, just take a chance sometime in
your life, see where your life really see. You have
to take chances sometimes to allow life to open the
doors that are just around the corner. But you might
not see that door unless you make that corner turn,
you know what I mean, Unless you walk around that corner,
you might not ever see the door that's there. And
and I try to emphasize that because there's even out
on the road when I play shows and stuff. I
(14:16):
tell the guys in the band we all have sometimes
we have to step outside of our comfort zones in
order to see what we're capable of. And um, anyway,
you did not have any intention to be in the
music business, and quite frankly, man as as your friend,
I didn't care. I mean if you if we ended
up working together, cool, But I was just wanting to
get you up there because I could tell, as your
friend that you needed something different in your life. And uh,
(14:37):
so you and O you moved to Nashville, you started hanging,
you stayed at my place. We were roommates together for
at least a couple of years, I think, And uh,
where this story really gets great is and O is
now married and he has two beautiful children. Sure they're
both mine. Yeah, I travel a lot. Yeah so and
(15:01):
oh at the time when we're living in my little
townhouse as roommates. When he moved up, um, he was
getting his hair cut like three or four times a week.
Seemed like, I mean, that's exaggeration, but you got your
hair cut at least once a week. I had my
I had a hair down to my shoulders at that point,
and yeah you did. He had long hair. But if
you don't mind, because I've been talking a lot, I
want you to talk today. I feel like I've had
(15:21):
to talk because you're not really one to open up
on emotions and talk about things. But you need to
go ahead and just tell us why you were getting
your hair cut so much. I went into one of
these fancy places um to get my I was going
in for a massage, and I had never gone to
a fancy place to get my haircut. Great. The guy
that moves up, no job, no no intention of doing
anything his day of his day off because he has
(15:43):
no job, He's like, yeah, I'm gonna get a massage today,
So he's going to get a massage. I figured out
to get a haircut too, and I was sitting there
at waiting and there was this, uh, there was this
girl that was amongst four or five other girls that
were standing there, and I was going, man, that girl
is beautiful. I hope she is the one that cuts
my hair. And she walked over and said, hey, are
you John, And I said, yes, I am, and then
she just said in this little southern accent, and at
(16:04):
that point I was just hooked. And she cut my
hair and you know, we talked for about forty five minutes,
because that's how long it took to cut my hair.
And at that point I started going in there every
two weeks to get my haircut. Had no need to.
I used to get my haircut once every six months,
and I was in there once every two weeks, which
was getting really expensive. Um. And it finally took about
a year for me to ask her out. You didn't
(16:27):
which which hang on? She rejected me. No, this is
such a this is not wrong. This is you guys
have this totally different story. What it was. Okay, we
were throwing this big fourth or July party and I said, hey, listen,
very casual because I didn't want to be that guy
that asked out, you know, and make this Fourth of
July party we're talking about too, by the way, as
a party that I used to do all the time.
I need to bring this party back. But it used
(16:48):
to rent house boats out on Center Hill Lake on
Fourth of July and we would get all of our
buddies and friends and we stay out on the house
boats for a few days. So he's telling me that
he's met this girl. It's cut because I said, you're
getting your hair cut a lot. You know. He's like,
I met this girl that you just told you about it.
She's unbelievable. I said, well you should go and ask
her out. I'm just ask her out. So so this happens,
(17:14):
so Fourth of July party. I casually invited her and
not make it an awkward because you're going in a
boat in front of as much stranger said, hey, why
don't you bring a friend that is not a guy
with you? And you know we can bring any friend. Yeah,
bring bring a friend that happens to sit down to
P two. Um. So so she said, yeah, that sounds great,
and I gave her my number and I'm sitting there
(17:35):
and she never called, and she never called, so we
went and had the party next and I would talk
about this girl all the time, probably to the point
where Jake got sick of it, and I did. That's
why I went in there. So he walked in one
day and said, Hey, where's this girl Melissa. I've never
met her. I just heard him talk about her. So
they're like okay, and you know, he walks over to
He goes, hey, you blew my friend off. And then
she goes and tells this other story. And he never
(17:57):
really asked me out all this other stuff. I wasn't
obviously there. You know what he said. What she said
was he's what had What had happened was this. I
went in there, I had my haircut, but I kind
of saw this girl there that I was like, I
think that's who John was telling me about. So I
went over to her. So you Melissa, She said, yeah,
I said, you're my friend Andy. I think he blew
him off. And she said, what are you talking about?
(18:20):
I said, well, I think he asked you to come
out for I think it was her birthday or something.
Her birthday, Yes, it was a birthday weekend. That's yeah,
it's all coming back to me. Who doesn't want to
spend their birthday weekend with a bunch of strangers and
some dude they already exact rude. Well, I said you
should have come because it was a great time. And
she said, well he never gave me his number. Uh,
(18:40):
he said I could get it out and no, that's
what it was. I said, hey, I'll give you my
number and she said, oh, it's in the system, all right,
she said, you told Okay. Well, either way, this all
has a happy end. This has a happy ending either way.
This man is married to this woman now and they
have two beautiful children. I think how awesome that is.
And now I'm getting free haircuts for live. Yeah, he's
(19:01):
getting free haircuts for live. He's got two beautiful kids.
And if he had no left Tallahassee and stop rolling
sandwiches and moving up and had the idea of getting
a massage, you know what I mean, Like, what a
great what a happy ending of that. So now he's married,
he's got two beautiful kids, and I've been able to,
(19:22):
uh to see see them both be born and and
and and watch you become a go from the guy
drinking yeager bombs and just like you know, being the
resident assistant at Southgate to being this dad that facetime's
your kid every day and watches you grow up. Man,
I think it's so so cool and I've been so
(19:43):
excited to have you and you're talking about this because
all these years later, now you're not just You're not
just my buddy. That's that we're hanging in college and
then we're just roommates you ended up. Now we're you're
my manager of my whole world, in my business, and
you kind of assumed that all over time. Because I
want to get to this. People would always ask me.
(20:04):
They're like, what does and oh do like because he's
always around, but what does he do? And I would
say he does everything. He does absolutely everything. And uh,
They're like, what do you mean he does everything? And
I said, I literally mean he does everything. And uh,
this is at a time where he wasn't working, It
wasn't really working with me. He was just down on
(20:24):
the road hanging out and and helping me out. And
it got to the point where I said, man, like
you need I want to give you a job because
we this thing is uh starting to take off a
little bit, but I need you in my life for
what you do. You can think about it and O,
what is the what is the weirdest thing that you
think you've had, you've done? I mean still to this day,
when I walk off stage, I don't wear shoes on stage,
(20:45):
Like I walked to the steps to get and and
I have my chees. He just kind of drops him
on the floor at my feet like, and I'm always
like I never asked him to do that, but he's
always like, my shoes are in a perfect place for
me to walk off stage. And uh, I practice that.
How Yeah, that's really funny. Man, You're just like, here's
your shoes. And I've never been like and when I
(21:06):
walk off stage, dude, I want my shoes right there.
Those are the that's those are the things right there.
The and oh does that's why when I say he
does everything, But you gotta have a good story or something. Man,
I don't I do, but some of them. Here's a
good one. Why don't you tell Why don't you tell
the story about the time that we got off the
bus at whatever that fair was? We were playing some
county fair somewhere and we go to the gym every
(21:27):
day and so uh and oh yeah, I don't even
I mean, it was an eye or something like that.
It was there was one of these places there. There
probably wasn't a gym within twenty miles. So I ran
off and, um, I want to go get to get
a contact and talk to the promoter. I said, hey, man,
is a gym around here anyways? And goes, oh yeah, yeah.
I hang out one second and he runs off, and
I'm thinking, all right, well, this guy is gonna go
get us a ride and everything. And he comes back
(21:49):
with this guy and he goes here you go, man,
I go what And he goes, here's Jim. I just
just I was like, I mean, it's definitely that is
definitely a Jim. It's very nice to meet you, Jim,
but you're not the gym I'm looking for. Those are
the kind of things, man. People don't realize that you
just every day on the road. Uh but uh So
(22:12):
going from that and going from um just kind of
not really knowing you were going to be in the
music business to being full blown manage and managing an
artist in the music business. I want I'd like for
you to, like, if you don't mind, man, just open
up for a minute and talk like, what what is
what has that been like? You know what I mean,
what it two people out there that want to know
(22:32):
what this world is like? What how the music businesses run?
From a guy that you it's not like you. You've
lived in Nashville for years and watched up and it's
like I think a lot of people, if you when
you look around what we do now artist wise, a
lot of them have friends that they're working with or
people that have been with them for a long time.
But it's someone you trust. It's someone that's got your
back day and night and always got your best interest.
(22:55):
And that's what you are for me, and that's why
I love you, man. But anyway, if you don't mind
for people out there, what what's it like from your perspective, Well,
it's definitely not like a Montley Crude nine eighties documentary
that you probably watch. On the road. There's not a
lot of that going on. Um there's a lot of
waiting around on the road. But I think that's an
important thing too, is like you said that the trusted
you know, the trust factor um to where you know,
(23:16):
I gotta work every day and I may be doing,
you know, sitting down at a meeting with the sponsorship
for the tour as a and then the next day
I'm setting up a pickleball court on the road now,
so it's it's all over the place. So it's great
because I never know what I'm gonna do, but I
know that whatever we're doing, we all are doing it
for the benefit of everyone. Um, you know, to make
sure that you know, you one are happy and doing
(23:37):
everything you can, but in turn, everyone on the road
is also benefiting and making sure that we're doing it's
great and everyone on the road. That's a great thing
about it is their family out there. Like You've got
guys that have been with you for ten twelve years
from the very beginning, and there are people that love
being out there and they leave their families to go
on the road and be part of another family. And
(23:59):
everyone at each other that way, and it and it's
just great. And the amount of personalities on the road
is so eclectic. It's just so funny. I mean, you
got one guy that is just so o c D
that he has everything labeled, and you've got another guy
that doesn't know where his drumsticks are and they and
that that's I can't imagine, but they get a d
(24:21):
And that was that was a great one. You should
have him just every week. She should become a co host. Yeah, yeah,
he's fantastic. But it's I mean, it's it's do you
love I mean, honestly you You're not gonna hurt my
feelings there. Do you love being on the road? Do
you do you like? Is there parts of the business
that you I'm glad you asked. I have something to
tell you. I quit. So this is my two weeks.
(24:43):
Notice No, I love it. And that's what you know
that there are hard things about you know, leaving your
family and missing birthdays and stuff like that, but it
makes it felt worth it because you know, at the end,
you're doing everything that you can for your family to
make you know them better. And I have a unbelievably
beautiful and standing life. Um, yes he does. And I
hope she's listening. Uh, but um, that's important too. It's
(25:07):
just you're doing everything for the family at home, and
you know, you have bad days or anything like that,
but that you come home, you see a little three
year old running across and so excited to see you,
and that just changes everything. And I think that's what's
great too, is you can look around and that everyone
else on the road too, and we all we love
what we do out there and it's it's help what helps,
you know, support our lives. But you also can see
I look at other my other guys in the band
(25:30):
that are walking around outside, you know, thank God to
fit for FaceTime. You can just see him FaceTime and
their kid and walking around. And it's like you said,
I think people have this idea that it's it's like
Motley Crue guns and Roses were out there, you know,
tipping up bottles of Jack Daniels and uh, which I've
seen you do a few times. We're trying to recreate that,
but it's not catching on. But we uh, I think
(25:54):
we have a lot of We have a lot of
responsibility fum, not just to our families and our friends
and and and ourselves for how hard we've worked, but
most importantly, I think it's our responsibility to the fans
out there every day and the promoters and the people
that are paid for us to come play shows that
when we show up, that we do what we came
(26:15):
to do, and that's entertained. People make sure they have
an awesome Thursday, Friday, Saturday night. And when we leave there,
we make sure they want us to come back, and uh,
I know I can't do that with just music. I
have to do that with the people that are around
me as well, guys like yourself and do and the
way you treat people is the way that I would
(26:36):
want to be treated, and what what the way I
want others to be treated. So I appreciate everything that
you do out there, and also say, you know, when
we first started doing this, or when I first started
doing this, and we talked about me coming on the
road and working and everything. I don't know if you
remember this or not, but I said, hey, man, i'm in.
I'll do it. But if you start being anyone different
than who you are, if you start getting a big
(26:56):
head and you're not the same person that I met
in college, I'm out. And you too, this day are
the exact same person that you were in college. And
I think that's a unbelievable. I don't know if that's
a I don't know if that's good. Well, you know
parts of it are, but I mean I think that's
a that's a huge compliment to you just to sit
there and say, hey, listen, this guy hasn't changed, and uh,
you've got a lot of great things going on right now.
(27:18):
But out of this entire month with you know, this
single release, the tour announcement, everything that's so great that
everyone's like, man, look all this stuff doing, I gotta
imagine that probably the thing that you're looking most forward
to is going to your daughter's school tomorrow. Yeah, And
I mean that's the crazy things. You have all these
fantastic things going on, and you're like looking forward to
the most is being a dad and going to see
(27:39):
your daughter and having donuts with her, which you probably
won't eat because you're going to the gym twice a day. Yeah,
I won't. I want That's another thing. That's the sacrifices, right,
I should. It's my daughter. I should have it. I'm
going to Daddy Daughter Donut Day tomorrow actually tonight or
leaving tonight. Leaving tonight. I gotta get down there early,
and I was sucking. I can make sure she stays
with me for the night and I take her to
school in the morning and it's Daddy Daughter Donut Day.
(28:01):
But you're right, man, that's I do. That's I think
about that often, about how lucky I'm to have a
lot of great things going on. But there's nothing greater
than your kid being. She doesn't care if I have
if I got the most added single, by the way,
whoa whoa, Yeah, the most added single on country radio
(28:21):
this week with I was Jack and you were Noane.
So thanks to everybody a country radio and all my
fans out there and anyone that listens. And um, I
was saying earlier walking in here, this stuff like that
does not happen without a team of people around you.
Um I can sing the song I go out there performance,
but without guys like and Oh and Keith Gale and
and the people a big loud and everybody that's helped
(28:42):
me promote this single, I couldn't do it. Man. And
so that's the reason that you know, this sounds like
a big jarboard conversation, but here we are talking about
good company again. You know, people around you, the kinds
of people that you that you flourish as a human
being because of they lift you up. And uh, that's
what you are, man, You're good company. John Andlina, We've
(29:05):
we've had some funny moments over the years. And uh,
I think also to about our relationships. The guy that
doesn't talk a lot, Yeah, because I think this is
interesting too. That made me think when I was like,
you're going to the gym twice today, I think one
thing that people probably don't realize that you and I
are probably the most competitive people with each other. So
I get up and I see Jack on the on
the iCal that says, you know, workout six thirty am. Yeah,
(29:28):
and I'm going, well, I'm getting up at five thirty then.
How you like that? Yeah. The best part is though,
and I'm already leaving the gym in the morning because
and and I live on the same side of town
and we have to take the same road to the gym.
He actually takes his kid just to uh school in
the morning, and so I'll already be coming back from
the gym when and I was taking his kid to
school in the morning. And seeing that though, makes me go,
(29:50):
all right, going hard today. But just with everything, man,
I mean there's been PlayStation control, there's broken, there's been
wagers lost, there's I mean it's pickle ball match, yeah,
and there's a there's a little bit of fire of competition.
I think that keeps the day exciting. But I think again,
you know, it's the people around you that push you
to want to be better and makes you you know,
(30:11):
it's the kind of people that you need around you.
So uh, I wish you the best of luck to
your Buffalo Bills this season. If you've ever seen And
on the road, he's always got his Buffalo Bills had on.
And uh speaking of Buffalo Bills, I want to do
everybody out there, Um, they can take a minute to
say a good prayer for our friend Jim Kelly j
(30:31):
K twelve, who was UM who was battling cancer again,
and UM, he's been in our thoughts. He's we've Andy
and I had the pleasure. I think before we get
out of here, can we tell this story before we
got this is the and this is something what a
great way to finish this out. Uh. First off, again, Jim,
we're all thinking about your buddy. Um, you are an
inspiration to so many people. And I, outside of only
(30:55):
kind of knowing your your stature as a as a quarterback,
through and especially through guys like and O here being
a huge fan, I didn't know much about you until
this situation of what we're what we're gonna tell you
about now. Andy and I were so amazed to be
invited as as fans of sports and football. Nonetheless, UM
to Peyton Manning's retirement party out Um in l A
(31:18):
a couple of years ago, and UM not to you know,
not to sit here and drop names now, but this
is something that is just we both pinch ourselves. We're
not saying this to be arrogant or braggadocious. We're saying
this because this is something that we will remember not
only as friends for our whole lives, but just because
how cool this moment was. And to go out there,
to be invited to be a part of watching Peyton
(31:39):
Um and his friends celebrate his induction Um into the
Hall of Fame, it was pretty retirement party. Excuse me, Yeah,
it was just retirement. Maybe maybe we're nice enough that
Peyton will invite us back for the whole family. It
was sorry, the retirement party. I got got. I got
to think of how cool it was either way, being
there and and seeing that Um we were. We were
(31:59):
sitting at the are and Bill Kaer, longtime great coach
of the Steelers, was sitting there and he noticed and
O's as usual buffalo Bill's hat. He's like, oh man,
you your bills. He's like, you know, Jim Kelly is
gonna be there tonight, and his eyes lit up, like,
no way this is gonna be Are we not only
here for this awesome event? Meet Jim Kelly and Bill
Cower's that you're talking to us having a beard. So
(32:22):
we said, we said, we're getting ready to go over
we have a car service where everyone to ride here.
I think they were Bill Carle was gonna get an
uber he was gonna uber world. We're like, hey, jump
in with us. So Bill Cower uh and his beautiful
wife v um. They rode with us over there. And
(32:42):
we get there and we're and and I are kind
of just we felt like fish out of water man
because there's all these people around that we just were
are so enamored by. And um, next thing, you know,
we see Jim Kelly across the room and and I
was like, Andy, you're gonna say hi to him. You
gotta say hi to him. And he's like, Nope, I can't.
I can't. I will you know I can't. I can't.
(33:03):
So after an hour or so goes by, I think
it was Bill Carrot came back by again. He's like,
did you meet him yet? Did you meet him? And
he's like dum, I'm come here. And so next thing,
you know, and oh and Jim Kelly and O who
grew up? I mean, you gotta. I had a poster
of Jim Kelly on my wall and it was like
him with a violin, a violin case and he was
a football inside of it and said machine gun Kelly
(33:25):
on my wall. Him and Thurman Thomas were the two
guys that I had on my wall. So this was
a childhood icon to me. And you know, we have
the opportunity to meet so many people, but this was like, yeah,
and for those out there that don't know this, Jim Kelly,
there's an unbelievable quarterback. Hall of Fame quarterback. But he
took the Buffalo Bills and you saw this as a kid,
Which is why this is also funny because I've watched
(33:47):
and a struggle with this. This whole was as long
as I've known him. Is that they went to the
Super Bowl four years in a row and lost every
single time. Correct, And then the Tennessee Titans actually in
the Music City Miracle and says it was a forward pass, which,
by the way, it was. It was this the other
(34:07):
great story. So we get back to this this party.
We gotta wrap this up here. Here we get back
to this party where we were. You meet Jim Kelly,
we hang out that he becomes such a nice guy.
We're talking for a while. Andy and I. Thanks to
our friends at Sessna, we're flying us. We had to
get back. We like made a special trip to l
A because we had to go to Canada the next day.
Ironically enough, our flight we got this flight um from Sessna.
(34:30):
They were gonna fly us from l A to Buffalo
the next morning so we could cross the border. Well,
I looked at and O and said, hey, you should
ask Jim Kelly if he wants to fly back to
Buffalo with us, because we've got the plane. That would
be just how cool would that be. He's like, you know,
I don't know. So we go, hey, j you have
if you want to fly back. He says like, heck yeah.
So he and his beautiful wife Jill got on the
(34:52):
plane with us, and it was just Jim Kelly and O,
his wife Joe, myself and Greg Fowler and we had
a four and a half hour flight and he gave
us all the greatest stories in the world, told us
about life, told us about what he'd been through, had
already gone through cancer once, he lost a son, and
an earth at his son was at an early age,
(35:12):
and just watching John and Jim Kelly in a jet
flying from l A to to Buffalo, to me, it
was one of the most fulfilling things in life to
see how why did that happen? You know what I mean?
It happened because I took this weird chance in college
and told him I was leaving, and then it happened
because he took a chance. And like, you know what
(35:34):
I'm saying. And I know that it sounds like I said,
we always we were just rambling on here, but I
truly like it's moments like that that I thought were
so unbelievable and how great of a guy Jim was.
And O always keeps you can see it right there.
He's got his money clip right there. And O always
keeps this rubber band or like a hair tie around
his money and doesn't use a wallet. And Jim Kelly
noticed it on the plane and he's like, give you
(35:55):
that thing, and he took it off and threw it
on the ground. And Andy had had that thing for like,
he's really weird about stuff. Like this. You've had that
same bit rubber band or something for ten years. Yeah,
it's in a while. Yeah. And and he took his
wallet clip off, Jim Kelly, his Buffalo Bills wallet clip
and put it over and does wallet clip and gave
it to him. Yeah. But if Jim was a real
(36:15):
nice guy, he would have put some money in there too,
so you know. But yeah, Jim and and Jill and
their entire family are probably some of the most down
to earth nicest people. And we're definitely thinking about and praying. Yeah,
we're thinking about you. Guys are good people, all the
Kelly family and the Kelly nation and Buffalo Bill Nation. Um, dude,
thanks for coming on here today. We could talk for again,
(36:37):
for hours, and and I hope that everybody out there
is loving these conversations as much as I am. And
this gives me a chance earlier I don't wouldn't We
ride a bus together every day all the time and
travel and we don't really ever reflect and talk like this,
you know. And and I think that I'm doing on
the plane tonight. Yeah we could all right, we'll play
cards or something. But dude, thank you, man, I love
(36:59):
you do. I appreciate everything you've ever done for me.
We are Our management company is called good Company, and
this podcast is called Good Company. You are a good company.
John Anthony and Keith Kaufman in here again, once again
helping us with this. Y'all are good company. Everybody out there,
thanks so much. We love you. We'll see you next time.
And I'm Jack and we'll catch you on a Good
(37:21):
Company next time. Yeah, well you
Oh all right, all right, you didn't think that was funny,
that that liquor store picture. I mean, I mean I
thought it was all right, and I thought it was
kind of funny. I didn't think it was I didn't
like make me text back. I noticed that. Yeah, yeah, man, Hey,
I didn't even get an l L. See we're we're
(00:23):
already in on this thing. You didn't even realize it. Um.
I want to welcome everybody back. It's Jakey, Welcome back
to Good Company. UM, it's another episode here today. I'm
really excited about it. You guys kind of might have
just heard us talking as we came in. This wasn't
this Usually we start with this pre roll intro. But
I knew with a special guest that I had today,
I would have to kind of catch him off guard. Um.
(00:44):
And what he was talking about was a I asked
him this secret person I haven't introduced you to yet, uh,
if he would like to be on my podcast, because
it would mean a lot to me if he would
come on this podcast. And uh, he really, I don't
think wanted to said no. Is what happened is that
what he said? No, I don't I'm good, Thank you yeah,
(01:05):
but I made him do it. And uh, that man
that is talking in the background that I have yet
to introduce is the Italian Stallions, John Andalia. Everybody given
up for John Andalina? Thank you John and Alina. Is
here a lot of y'all out there, um, friends of
(01:25):
mine and people on the road that might have might
have heard the name and oh before and oh is
I believe it's short for Andalina? Correct already with the
short jokes. No, that wasn't even a short joke. Actually,
I was just But now that you've said that, I
guess I should have said no pun intended. But uh
(01:45):
uh and oh, I mean he is a of a
shorter stature. He I mean he brought that upon himself
there when he said that. I just figured to get
out of the way. Yeah, well we got those out
of the way. And dude, I I I'm not here
today to talk to you about your height or mine
real honestly, I'm here to talk to you about how
awesome of a person you are. And that's what this
is all about. I've been able so so many times
(02:06):
to um have some pretty awesome people in here and
talk to them about just life and and and and
really have no direction. Look, I walked in here with
a Lacrosse a Lacroix water. This one happened. I did
because it's the only one I had, And I got
one of those packs at Costco where you um, you
get like four different flavors at one time. I'm a
(02:27):
member at Costco. Now we've had a big argument. We
have had a big argument. Before we get into all that,
let me first tell everybody before all that, let me
preference with this is I am so out of my
comfort zone with a microphone in my front of my face.
So I'm gonna preference that for everybody. You you are
not my thing. Yeah, you definitely are probably out of
your comfort zone right now. Yeah. Like when the telemarketer
(02:49):
calls and said this call is being recorded for quality assurance,
I shut down immediately. Well, I can assure you. I
can assure you that this is being recorded for quality
assurance for all the people out there. Which, by the way,
Keith Kaufman told me this morning right before we started
this podcast that we're up to eighty thousand listens already
after a few weeks of starting this. So now that
(03:10):
John and Alina is made it on the show, there's
no telling what kind of numbers I mean, are just
gonna go through the roof after this one. It's probably
about four more listens, your mom, my mom, and my wife.
Oh man, well your wife. That's a good story too.
We have lots of good stories to get to today.
But back to what I was saying originally, is the
reason I wanted to have you on here, John, is because, uh,
(03:32):
just the kind of value. I mean, I've known you
since college. I wanted to kind of intro people that
everybody out there before I've seen you on the road.
John now is my manager. But it didn't start that way.
It started as a guy I met in college when
I walked into Southgate dormitory, which is in Tallahassee. I
was up there for summer semester. I went up early
(03:53):
with intentions of playing golf on the golf team, and
a lot of people throughout the years have somewhat miss
construed my story about going to college and playing golf
on the golf team, which never happened. Um, I actually
went there with the intentions of walking on the golf team.
I twin brother Jared, who you know very well. When
we spent a lot of years with was on the
(04:13):
tennis team there full tennis scholarship. But I went up
early and stayed at this dormitory South Gates, this private dormitory,
and I walked in to find out where my room
was because I was there for summer golf camp and
John and Alina was the resident assistant behind the counter,
and Uh, you helped me to my room, man, I
did you show me where my room was? At the time,
(04:35):
John tells a story that he I doubt that it
was a pink I might have been a shade of
pink salmon, all right, salmon. I had a salmon golf
shirt on. I was coming for golf camp, you know,
and had my golf clubs on my shoulder. And that's
how we met and became good buddies. Down in college
and with me not playing on the golf team, I
(04:56):
started playing music and writing songs. You know. I mean
how many times you probably came and saw me play it? Uh?
Buckets and this place called Buckets. Buckets was awesome. There
was this it was just a huge bar and their
stage was above the bar, like elevated, like it was
hanging from the ceiling. So you're sitting there having a drink,
(05:17):
and if you were to look up where normal TVs
would be at a like at a sports bar, there
was a stage with a guy playing on it. It
was so awkward. Whoever came up with that idea, Like, hey, yeah,
it actually was a brilliant idea. Um, it was this
And you know that was at a time I was
hustling in college because I just wanted to play for
anyone and anyone everyone, and was playing all kinds of
(05:39):
cover songs and stuff. But there was a place across
the street called Parrots. If you remember that, I mean
there'd be nights. So we talked about this when Marty
and Jared were on the podcast, But there were nights
where I literally would be so excited to go up
there and play. And I had my own little p
A system. I plugged the wires in and put it
on sticks, you know, and get ready and sound check
a song or two. It was usually like Dixie Land
(05:59):
of Light or something, but Alabama, you know, the bartender
and the waitress, one waitress to be in there, like,
you know, kind of getting ready for what they were
hoping to be a big night. Because I was promising
all these people to come see me play and then
uh and I would show up with like our buddy
Rodrigo and Jared, and um, that was pretty much. That'd
pretty much be it from and parrots served only beer,
(06:20):
and I didn't drink, so I would I would have
to go out to the car to get my own refreshments.
So they didn't. They didn't make a lot of money
off of me. No, And at the time, and all
he'd tell people, tell them what you drink in college.
He's the only person in my life that does weird
things like this. We'll get into that you're a weirdo,
but he's he only in college drinking Yeager bombs. That's it.
(06:44):
That's it, nothing but Yeager bombs. You will go into
his college apartment or whatever, and you'd have all these
empty Yeager bottles on top of his refrigerator and like
a hundred and fifty cans of Red Bull and for
some reason, I about thirty pounds heavier, and oh man,
and so yeah, but I was a dream to invite
(07:06):
the parties because I never came to drink your alcohol.
I would, he did, and you would always. But if
we were going somewhere, it was always like, guys want
to have a yegger barm. So back on track. So
I'm playing music in these venues and you guys are
coming out and supporting me. Then it was awesome man,
because you you you just even back then, you were
just supporting me. And I remember the day that I
(07:29):
wrote this song, eight Second Ride. I wrote it with
my buddy Eric Durant, who also lives in Tallahassee. And
that song over there, I mean, it's a it's a
it's a platinum song, sold over a million copies, and
I'll never forget that song. I wrote literally when I
was in college down there, and brought it to your
dormitory because Cee and O, since he was the resident assistant,
(07:51):
and O had this like luxury dorm room. You know,
it was like it was a three bedroom apartment, basic
in the lobby. It stupid. Yeah, it was great, and
and they paid me to what idiots? So yeah, so
I I took him the song and I probably played
that song about a hundred times in his dormitory. Um.
(08:11):
And so this all leads to eventually me going one
day to and O and my twin brother and tell
him and then I'm moving to Nashville, And uh, what
did you think. I mean, honestly, like, I've never really
asked you that, and I think that's why I was.
I was excited today to get you in here after
we've kind of prefaced how we met and what when
(08:32):
I told you that I was going to move to
Nashville to sing songs and try to make it in Nashville.
H honestly, like, what was your thought on that? Well?
I never thought we'd be sitting here talking about a
podcast at any point. Um. I was excited for you, man,
I mean it was. It was inspired to see you
follow your dream and wanting to do it. And so
(08:52):
many people sit back and and want to do things
and talk about how they want to do things, but
then they don't take the action. And for you to
just pick up and say, hey man, this is what
I'm doing. And it was I think I was probably
more nervous and had more anxiety than you did over it.
That's uh. I mean, it was exciting to see man,
and it was it was cool hearing the stories about
you know, you being a Nashville with not having any
reference point of how the music industry worked, and and
(09:14):
you sit there and go, you know, I played this
bar or something like that. It was like wow, I mean,
and then it's funny you hear your song in the radio,
which was a second ride I think was the first
one that you did, and it was you immediately think, wow,
this guy made it. He's a superstar. And I think
that's how a lot of people from smaller towns or hometowns,
when they hear their rendering on the radio, they immediately think, well,
this guy's made it. He's you know an absolutely. Meanwhile,
(09:37):
I was driving back and forth to Tallahassee on the
weekends to play bars and stuff and play like they
would hire me when John was still down there running
the dormitory. It's they would literally hire me to come.
I would come home from Mashville and bring a p
A system and play for like the kids moving in
the dormitory, and they'd be given out like placed, like
(09:57):
I'd do like a raffle during my set, you know, like, yeah,
there's a free PlayStation if you guys just signed literally
I had a record deal or something. I think I
was going back and forth doing that. But uh, that's
cool to hear you say that, because I've always wondered
what some of them, my friends thought if they just
thought I was crazy at the time or what. But
we definitely thought you were crazy. But it's just that
I'm looking back, looking back on it, I I sometimes
(10:21):
wonder if I was. But I'm glad because and that's
why I bring that up, not so much to just
to tout like the story of be moving up here,
but I really believe as many people ask me all
the time about how stuff like this happens. If you
ask any person that does what we're doing as far
as singing songs on the radio play, and it didn't
(10:41):
happen without moving at least here to to chase us
a dream, and it may not happen. And now everyone's
story doesn't happen the same way. It all takes its
own time. But as you said, and I think it's
important for those out there listening, And that's all I
want to do is promote, you know, people to understand
the positivity of of believing in themselves and and pursuing
(11:02):
whether it's music, whether or whatever it is, do it
because um, there's no guarantees, but if and when it
does work out, because you chase something you love the
benefits of it and the happiness and brings to your
life is is amazing. I can attest to that, and
as can you. I think now, and Oh, because I'm
not the only one that took a risk in my life,
(11:22):
and I wanted to bring this back around to you.
Obviously you're here today. So I moved to Nashville, and
I've been up there for a couple of years. Probably
at the time after you left south Gate the dormitory,
you were literally working at a sandwich shop, right, I
was making sandwiches. He was literally rolling sandwiches at a
place called Roli Poly. So I can make a mean
(11:43):
sandwich if everyone wants after this, which is so funny
because and Oh doesn't eat anything. He doesn't like anything.
If he orders a hamburger, it's just I want the
burger and the buns. I don't want anything on it.
I don't want it. So he used to tell me
how good these sandwiches were, But I said, how do
you even know because you don't you don't even eat it.
How can you tell someone something's good you don't eat.
He's because I make it, Oh Man. We get an
(12:06):
argument about hamburgers all the time about you know, he
he gets everything on as hamburgers. So Eason thinks that
his is better than mine, and I sit there and say, no,
mine's better because I can enjoy the meats. I can.
He's like, I can actually taste the meat because I
don't have it covered in mustard and avocado and you know,
fancy stuff that shouldn't go on burger. Oh Man, I asked,
this isn't what we'll move on. I don't. I said,
(12:28):
we weren't gonna have short jokes. And it really wasn't
gonna be a short joke, which is why I was
going to preface it with that liston. Man, I didn't
walk into this podcast thinking I was tall. So you're
calling me short, just not opening my eyes to anything.
I'm not gonna walk out. So I'm in Nashville for
a couple of years and and I'm keeping up with
you as you're down there, and and and there's been
(12:49):
once or twice and I would come up and I
think to visit um, and I kept telling him. I
was like, man, you need to just move up here.
And he's gonna be great at whatever he does because
he works hard. That's how from the time I met him,
that's what he did. He was working there at Southgate,
and he was working hard and and I always admired
that about you. But when I moved off, I saw
how much Nashville had changed my life, just in happiness
(13:13):
and being in a new place and with new people
and and just getting away from what you're used to,
you know. And so I told him, I said, man,
you need to come up here, seriously, you can live
up here in my place. I'm gone all the time.
I'll have a friend here, you know. And so it
wasn't but I don't know, you just said one day,
You're like, dude, I think I'm gonna move up there, right, Yeah,
(13:33):
I think what it was. You know, I was working
a lot, and I was fortunate enugh to save up
a little bit of money to take some time off,
and I just loved Nashville and you know how a
place to stay, and so I moved up. I just
threw everything in the back of my truck like you did,
only I was probably the only person that moved to
Nashville with everything back of my truck, without a job,
that had no intentions of going into the music business. Yeah,
which is why I wanted to have you on here,
because I think this is so great and this leads
(13:55):
back to once again, just take a chance sometime in
your life, see where your life really see. You have
to take chances sometimes to allow life to open the
doors that are just around the corner. But you might
not see that door unless you make that corner turn,
you know what I mean, Unless you walk around that corner,
you might not ever see the door that's there. And
and I try to emphasize that because there's even out
on the road when I play shows and stuff. I
(14:16):
tell the guys in the band we all have sometimes
we have to step outside of our comfort zones in
order to see what we're capable of. And um, anyway,
you did not have any intention to be in the
music business, and quite frankly, man as as your friend,
I didn't care. I mean if you if we ended
up working together, cool, But I was just wanting to
get you up there because I could tell, as your
friend that you needed something different in your life. And uh,
(14:37):
so you and O you moved to Nashville, you started hanging,
you stayed at my place. We were roommates together for
at least a couple of years, I think, And uh,
where this story really gets great is and O is
now married and he has two beautiful children. Sure they're
both mine. Yeah, I travel a lot. Yeah so and
(15:01):
oh at the time when we're living in my little
townhouse as roommates. When he moved up, um, he was
getting his hair cut like three or four times a week.
Seemed like, I mean, that's exaggeration, but you got your
hair cut at least once a week. I had my
I had a hair down to my shoulders at that point,
and yeah you did. He had long hair. But if
you don't mind, because I've been talking a lot, I
want you to talk today. I feel like I've had
(15:21):
to talk because you're not really one to open up
on emotions and talk about things. But you need to
go ahead and just tell us why you were getting
your hair cut so much. I went into one of
these fancy places um to get my I was going
in for a massage, and I had never gone to
a fancy place to get my haircut. Great. The guy
that moves up, no job, no no intention of doing
anything his day of his day off because he has
(15:43):
no job, He's like, yeah, I'm gonna get a massage today,
So he's going to get a massage. I figured out
to get a haircut too, and I was sitting there
at waiting and there was this, uh, there was this
girl that was amongst four or five other girls that
were standing there, and I was going, man, that girl
is beautiful. I hope she is the one that cuts
my hair. And she walked over and said, hey, are
you John, And I said, yes, I am, and then
she just said in this little southern accent, and at
(16:04):
that point I was just hooked. And she cut my
hair and you know, we talked for about forty five minutes,
because that's how long it took to cut my hair.
And at that point I started going in there every
two weeks to get my haircut. Had no need to.
I used to get my haircut once every six months,
and I was in there once every two weeks, which
was getting really expensive. Um. And it finally took about
a year for me to ask her out. You didn't
(16:27):
which which hang on? She rejected me. No, this is
such a this is not wrong. This is you guys
have this totally different story. What it was. Okay, we
were throwing this big fourth or July party and I said, hey, listen,
very casual because I didn't want to be that guy
that asked out, you know, and make this Fourth of
July party we're talking about too, by the way, as
a party that I used to do all the time.
I need to bring this party back. But it used
(16:48):
to rent house boats out on Center Hill Lake on
Fourth of July and we would get all of our
buddies and friends and we stay out on the house
boats for a few days. So he's telling me that
he's met this girl. It's cut because I said, you're
getting your hair cut a lot. You know. He's like,
I met this girl that you just told you about it.
She's unbelievable. I said, well you should go and ask
her out. I'm just ask her out. So so this happens,
(17:14):
so Fourth of July party. I casually invited her and
not make it an awkward because you're going in a
boat in front of as much stranger said, hey, why
don't you bring a friend that is not a guy
with you? And you know we can bring any friend. Yeah,
bring bring a friend that happens to sit down to
P two. Um. So so she said, yeah, that sounds great,
and I gave her my number and I'm sitting there
(17:35):
and she never called, and she never called, so we
went and had the party next and I would talk
about this girl all the time, probably to the point
where Jake got sick of it, and I did. That's
why I went in there. So he walked in one
day and said, Hey, where's this girl Melissa. I've never
met her. I just heard him talk about her. So
they're like okay, and you know, he walks over to
He goes, hey, you blew my friend off. And then
she goes and tells this other story. And he never
(17:57):
really asked me out all this other stuff. I wasn't
obviously there. You know what he said. What she said
was he's what had What had happened was this. I
went in there, I had my haircut, but I kind
of saw this girl there that I was like, I
think that's who John was telling me about. So I
went over to her. So you Melissa, She said, yeah,
I said, you're my friend Andy. I think he blew
him off. And she said, what are you talking about?
(18:20):
I said, well, I think he asked you to come
out for I think it was her birthday or something.
Her birthday, Yes, it was a birthday weekend. That's yeah,
it's all coming back to me. Who doesn't want to
spend their birthday weekend with a bunch of strangers and
some dude they already exact rude. Well, I said you
should have come because it was a great time. And
she said, well he never gave me his number. Uh,
(18:40):
he said I could get it out and no, that's
what it was. I said, hey, I'll give you my
number and she said, oh, it's in the system, all right,
she said, you told Okay. Well, either way, this all
has a happy end. This has a happy ending either way.
This man is married to this woman now and they
have two beautiful children. I think how awesome that is.
And now I'm getting free haircuts for live. Yeah, he's
(19:01):
getting free haircuts for live. He's got two beautiful kids.
And if he had no left Tallahassee and stop rolling
sandwiches and moving up and had the idea of getting
a massage, you know what I mean, Like, what a
great what a happy ending of that. So now he's married,
he's got two beautiful kids, and I've been able to,
(19:22):
uh to see see them both be born and and
and and watch you become a go from the guy
drinking yeager bombs and just like you know, being the
resident assistant at Southgate to being this dad that facetime's
your kid every day and watches you grow up. Man,
I think it's so so cool and I've been so
(19:43):
excited to have you and you're talking about this because
all these years later, now you're not just You're not
just my buddy. That's that we're hanging in college and
then we're just roommates you ended up. Now we're you're
my manager of my whole world, in my business, and
you kind of assumed that all over time. Because I
want to get to this. People would always ask me.
(20:04):
They're like, what does and oh do like because he's
always around, but what does he do? And I would
say he does everything. He does absolutely everything. And uh,
They're like, what do you mean he does everything? And
I said, I literally mean he does everything. And uh,
this is at a time where he wasn't working, It
wasn't really working with me. He was just down on
(20:24):
the road hanging out and and helping me out. And
it got to the point where I said, man, like
you need I want to give you a job because
we this thing is uh starting to take off a
little bit, but I need you in my life for
what you do. You can think about it and O,
what is the what is the weirdest thing that you
think you've had, you've done? I mean still to this day,
when I walk off stage, I don't wear shoes on stage,
(20:45):
Like I walked to the steps to get and and
I have my chees. He just kind of drops him
on the floor at my feet like, and I'm always
like I never asked him to do that, but he's
always like, my shoes are in a perfect place for
me to walk off stage. And uh, I practice that.
How Yeah, that's really funny. Man, You're just like, here's
your shoes. And I've never been like and when I
(21:06):
walk off stage, dude, I want my shoes right there.
Those are the that's those are the things right there.
The and oh does that's why when I say he
does everything, But you gotta have a good story or something. Man,
I don't I do, but some of them. Here's a
good one. Why don't you tell Why don't you tell
the story about the time that we got off the
bus at whatever that fair was? We were playing some
county fair somewhere and we go to the gym every
(21:27):
day and so uh and oh yeah, I don't even
I mean, it was an eye or something like that.
It was there was one of these places there. There
probably wasn't a gym within twenty miles. So I ran
off and, um, I want to go get to get
a contact and talk to the promoter. I said, hey, man,
is a gym around here anyways? And goes, oh yeah, yeah.
I hang out one second and he runs off, and
I'm thinking, all right, well, this guy is gonna go
get us a ride and everything. And he comes back
(21:49):
with this guy and he goes here you go, man,
I go what And he goes, here's Jim. I just
just I was like, I mean, it's definitely that is
definitely a Jim. It's very nice to meet you, Jim,
but you're not the gym I'm looking for. Those are
the kind of things, man. People don't realize that you
just every day on the road. Uh but uh So
(22:12):
going from that and going from um just kind of
not really knowing you were going to be in the
music business to being full blown manage and managing an
artist in the music business. I want I'd like for
you to, like, if you don't mind, man, just open
up for a minute and talk like, what what is
what has that been like? You know what I mean,
what it two people out there that want to know
(22:32):
what this world is like? What how the music businesses run?
From a guy that you it's not like you. You've
lived in Nashville for years and watched up and it's
like I think a lot of people, if you when
you look around what we do now artist wise, a
lot of them have friends that they're working with or
people that have been with them for a long time.
But it's someone you trust. It's someone that's got your
back day and night and always got your best interest.
(22:55):
And that's what you are for me, and that's why
I love you, man. But anyway, if you don't mind
for people out there, what what's it like from your perspective, Well,
it's definitely not like a Montley Crude nine eighties documentary
that you probably watch. On the road. There's not a
lot of that going on. Um there's a lot of
waiting around on the road. But I think that's an
important thing too, is like you said that the trusted
you know, the trust factor um to where you know,
(23:16):
I gotta work every day and I may be doing,
you know, sitting down at a meeting with the sponsorship
for the tour as a and then the next day
I'm setting up a pickleball court on the road now,
so it's it's all over the place. So it's great
because I never know what I'm gonna do, but I
know that whatever we're doing, we all are doing it
for the benefit of everyone. Um, you know, to make
sure that you know, you one are happy and doing
(23:37):
everything you can, but in turn, everyone on the road
is also benefiting and making sure that we're doing it's
great and everyone on the road. That's a great thing
about it is their family out there. Like You've got
guys that have been with you for ten twelve years
from the very beginning, and there are people that love
being out there and they leave their families to go
on the road and be part of another family. And
(23:59):
everyone at each other that way, and it and it's
just great. And the amount of personalities on the road
is so eclectic. It's just so funny. I mean, you
got one guy that is just so o c D
that he has everything labeled, and you've got another guy
that doesn't know where his drumsticks are and they and
that that's I can't imagine, but they get a d
(24:21):
And that was that was a great one. You should
have him just every week. She should become a co host. Yeah, yeah,
he's fantastic. But it's I mean, it's it's do you
love I mean, honestly you You're not gonna hurt my
feelings there. Do you love being on the road? Do
you do you like? Is there parts of the business
that you I'm glad you asked. I have something to
tell you. I quit. So this is my two weeks.
(24:43):
Notice No, I love it. And that's what you know
that there are hard things about you know, leaving your
family and missing birthdays and stuff like that, but it
makes it felt worth it because you know, at the end,
you're doing everything that you can for your family to
make you know them better. And I have a unbelievably
beautiful and standing life. Um, yes he does. And I
hope she's listening. Uh, but um, that's important too. It's
(25:07):
just you're doing everything for the family at home, and
you know, you have bad days or anything like that,
but that you come home, you see a little three
year old running across and so excited to see you,
and that just changes everything. And I think that's what's
great too, is you can look around and that everyone
else on the road too, and we all we love
what we do out there and it's it's help what helps,
you know, support our lives. But you also can see
I look at other my other guys in the band
(25:30):
that are walking around outside, you know, thank God to
fit for FaceTime. You can just see him FaceTime and
their kid and walking around. And it's like you said,
I think people have this idea that it's it's like
Motley Crue guns and Roses were out there, you know,
tipping up bottles of Jack Daniels and uh, which I've
seen you do a few times. We're trying to recreate that,
but it's not catching on. But we uh, I think
(25:54):
we have a lot of We have a lot of
responsibility fum, not just to our families and our friends
and and and ourselves for how hard we've worked, but
most importantly, I think it's our responsibility to the fans
out there every day and the promoters and the people
that are paid for us to come play shows that
when we show up, that we do what we came
(26:15):
to do, and that's entertained. People make sure they have
an awesome Thursday, Friday, Saturday night. And when we leave there,
we make sure they want us to come back, and uh,
I know I can't do that with just music. I
have to do that with the people that are around
me as well, guys like yourself and do and the
way you treat people is the way that I would
(26:36):
want to be treated, and what what the way I
want others to be treated. So I appreciate everything that
you do out there, and also say, you know, when
we first started doing this, or when I first started
doing this, and we talked about me coming on the
road and working and everything. I don't know if you
remember this or not, but I said, hey, man, i'm in.
I'll do it. But if you start being anyone different
than who you are, if you start getting a big
(26:56):
head and you're not the same person that I met
in college, I'm out. And you too, this day are
the exact same person that you were in college. And
I think that's a unbelievable. I don't know if that's
a I don't know if that's good. Well, you know
parts of it are, but I mean I think that's
a that's a huge compliment to you just to sit
there and say, hey, listen, this guy hasn't changed, and uh,
you've got a lot of great things going on right now.
(27:18):
But out of this entire month with you know, this
single release, the tour announcement, everything that's so great that
everyone's like, man, look all this stuff doing, I gotta
imagine that probably the thing that you're looking most forward
to is going to your daughter's school tomorrow. Yeah, And
I mean that's the crazy things. You have all these
fantastic things going on, and you're like looking forward to
the most is being a dad and going to see
(27:39):
your daughter and having donuts with her, which you probably
won't eat because you're going to the gym twice a day. Yeah,
I won't. I want That's another thing. That's the sacrifices, right,
I should. It's my daughter. I should have it. I'm
going to Daddy Daughter Donut Day tomorrow actually tonight or
leaving tonight. Leaving tonight. I gotta get down there early,
and I was sucking. I can make sure she stays
with me for the night and I take her to
school in the morning and it's Daddy Daughter Donut Day.
(28:01):
But you're right, man, that's I do. That's I think
about that often, about how lucky I'm to have a
lot of great things going on. But there's nothing greater
than your kid being. She doesn't care if I have
if I got the most added single, by the way,
whoa whoa, Yeah, the most added single on country radio
(28:21):
this week with I was Jack and you were Noane.
So thanks to everybody a country radio and all my
fans out there and anyone that listens. And um, I
was saying earlier walking in here, this stuff like that
does not happen without a team of people around you.
Um I can sing the song I go out there performance,
but without guys like and Oh and Keith Gale and
and the people a big loud and everybody that's helped
(28:42):
me promote this single, I couldn't do it. Man. And
so that's the reason that you know, this sounds like
a big jarboard conversation, but here we are talking about
good company again. You know, people around you, the kinds
of people that you that you flourish as a human
being because of they lift you up. And uh, that's
what you are, man, You're good company. John Andlina, We've
(29:05):
we've had some funny moments over the years. And uh,
I think also to about our relationships. The guy that
doesn't talk a lot, Yeah, because I think this is
interesting too. That made me think when I was like,
you're going to the gym twice today, I think one
thing that people probably don't realize that you and I
are probably the most competitive people with each other. So
I get up and I see Jack on the on
the iCal that says, you know, workout six thirty am. Yeah,
(29:28):
and I'm going, well, I'm getting up at five thirty then.
How you like that? Yeah. The best part is though,
and I'm already leaving the gym in the morning because
and and I live on the same side of town
and we have to take the same road to the gym.
He actually takes his kid just to uh school in
the morning, and so I'll already be coming back from
the gym when and I was taking his kid to
school in the morning. And seeing that though, makes me go,
(29:50):
all right, going hard today. But just with everything, man,
I mean there's been PlayStation control, there's broken, there's been
wagers lost, there's I mean it's pickle ball match, yeah,
and there's a there's a little bit of fire of competition.
I think that keeps the day exciting. But I think again,
you know, it's the people around you that push you
to want to be better and makes you you know,
(30:11):
it's the kind of people that you need around you.
So uh, I wish you the best of luck to
your Buffalo Bills this season. If you've ever seen And
on the road, he's always got his Buffalo Bills had on.
And uh speaking of Buffalo Bills, I want to do
everybody out there, Um, they can take a minute to
say a good prayer for our friend Jim Kelly j
(30:31):
K twelve, who was UM who was battling cancer again,
and UM, he's been in our thoughts. He's we've Andy
and I had the pleasure. I think before we get
out of here, can we tell this story before we
got this is the and this is something what a
great way to finish this out. Uh. First off, again, Jim,
we're all thinking about your buddy. Um, you are an
inspiration to so many people. And I, outside of only
(30:55):
kind of knowing your your stature as a as a quarterback,
through and especially through guys like and O here being
a huge fan, I didn't know much about you until
this situation of what we're what we're gonna tell you
about now. Andy and I were so amazed to be
invited as as fans of sports and football. Nonetheless, UM
to Peyton Manning's retirement party out Um in l A
(31:18):
a couple of years ago, and UM not to you know,
not to sit here and drop names now, but this
is something that is just we both pinch ourselves. We're
not saying this to be arrogant or braggadocious. We're saying
this because this is something that we will remember not
only as friends for our whole lives, but just because
how cool this moment was. And to go out there,
to be invited to be a part of watching Peyton
(31:39):
Um and his friends celebrate his induction Um into the
Hall of Fame, it was pretty retirement party. Excuse me, Yeah,
it was just retirement. Maybe maybe we're nice enough that
Peyton will invite us back for the whole family. It
was sorry, the retirement party. I got got. I got
to think of how cool it was either way, being
there and and seeing that Um we were. We were
(31:59):
sitting at the are and Bill Kaer, longtime great coach
of the Steelers, was sitting there and he noticed and
O's as usual buffalo Bill's hat. He's like, oh man,
you your bills. He's like, you know, Jim Kelly is
gonna be there tonight, and his eyes lit up, like,
no way this is gonna be Are we not only
here for this awesome event? Meet Jim Kelly and Bill
Cower's that you're talking to us having a beard. So
(32:22):
we said, we said, we're getting ready to go over
we have a car service where everyone to ride here.
I think they were Bill Carle was gonna get an
uber he was gonna uber world. We're like, hey, jump
in with us. So Bill Cower uh and his beautiful
wife v um. They rode with us over there. And
(32:42):
we get there and we're and and I are kind
of just we felt like fish out of water man
because there's all these people around that we just were
are so enamored by. And um, next thing, you know,
we see Jim Kelly across the room and and I
was like, Andy, you're gonna say hi to him. You
gotta say hi to him. And he's like, Nope, I can't.
I can't. I will you know I can't. I can't.
(33:03):
So after an hour or so goes by, I think
it was Bill Carrot came back by again. He's like,
did you meet him yet? Did you meet him? And
he's like dum, I'm come here. And so next thing,
you know, and oh and Jim Kelly and O who
grew up? I mean, you gotta. I had a poster
of Jim Kelly on my wall and it was like
him with a violin, a violin case and he was
a football inside of it and said machine gun Kelly
(33:25):
on my wall. Him and Thurman Thomas were the two
guys that I had on my wall. So this was
a childhood icon to me. And you know, we have
the opportunity to meet so many people, but this was like, yeah,
and for those out there that don't know this, Jim Kelly,
there's an unbelievable quarterback. Hall of Fame quarterback. But he
took the Buffalo Bills and you saw this as a kid,
Which is why this is also funny because I've watched
(33:47):
and a struggle with this. This whole was as long
as I've known him. Is that they went to the
Super Bowl four years in a row and lost every
single time. Correct, And then the Tennessee Titans actually in
the Music City Miracle and says it was a forward pass, which,
by the way, it was. It was this the other
(34:07):
great story. So we get back to this this party.
We gotta wrap this up here. Here we get back
to this party where we were. You meet Jim Kelly,
we hang out that he becomes such a nice guy.
We're talking for a while. Andy and I. Thanks to
our friends at Sessna, we're flying us. We had to
get back. We like made a special trip to l
A because we had to go to Canada the next day.
Ironically enough, our flight we got this flight um from Sessna.
(34:30):
They were gonna fly us from l A to Buffalo
the next morning so we could cross the border. Well,
I looked at and O and said, hey, you should
ask Jim Kelly if he wants to fly back to
Buffalo with us, because we've got the plane. That would
be just how cool would that be. He's like, you know,
I don't know. So we go, hey, j you have
if you want to fly back. He says like, heck yeah.
So he and his beautiful wife Jill got on the
(34:52):
plane with us, and it was just Jim Kelly and O,
his wife Joe, myself and Greg Fowler and we had
a four and a half hour flight and he gave
us all the greatest stories in the world, told us
about life, told us about what he'd been through, had
already gone through cancer once, he lost a son, and
an earth at his son was at an early age,
(35:12):
and just watching John and Jim Kelly in a jet
flying from l A to to Buffalo, to me, it
was one of the most fulfilling things in life to
see how why did that happen? You know what I mean?
It happened because I took this weird chance in college
and told him I was leaving, and then it happened
because he took a chance. And like, you know what
(35:34):
I'm saying. And I know that it sounds like I said,
we always we were just rambling on here, but I
truly like it's moments like that that I thought were
so unbelievable and how great of a guy Jim was.
And O always keeps you can see it right there.
He's got his money clip right there. And O always
keeps this rubber band or like a hair tie around
his money and doesn't use a wallet. And Jim Kelly
noticed it on the plane and he's like, give you
(35:55):
that thing, and he took it off and threw it
on the ground. And Andy had had that thing for like,
he's really weird about stuff. Like this. You've had that
same bit rubber band or something for ten years. Yeah,
it's in a while. Yeah. And and he took his
wallet clip off, Jim Kelly, his Buffalo Bills wallet clip
and put it over and does wallet clip and gave
it to him. Yeah. But if Jim was a real
(36:15):
nice guy, he would have put some money in there too,
so you know. But yeah, Jim and and Jill and
their entire family are probably some of the most down
to earth nicest people. And we're definitely thinking about and praying. Yeah,
we're thinking about you. Guys are good people, all the
Kelly family and the Kelly nation and Buffalo Bill Nation. Um, dude,
thanks for coming on here today. We could talk for again,
(36:37):
for hours, and and I hope that everybody out there
is loving these conversations as much as I am. And
this gives me a chance earlier I don't wouldn't We
ride a bus together every day all the time and
travel and we don't really ever reflect and talk like this,
you know. And and I think that I'm doing on
the plane tonight. Yeah we could all right, we'll play
cards or something. But dude, thank you, man, I love
(36:59):
you do. I appreciate everything you've ever done for me.
We are Our management company is called good Company, and
this podcast is called Good Company. You are a good company.
John Anthony and Keith Kaufman in here again, once again
helping us with this. Y'all are good company. Everybody out there,
thanks so much. We love you. We'll see you next time.
And I'm Jack and we'll catch you on a Good
(37:21):
Company next time. Yeah, well you
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